Razor-strop



(No Model.)

L. C. TOWER.

RAZOR STROP.

Patented Oct. 15, 1889.

N. PEYERS. PnulL'nhugnphar, whington. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

LEWIS C. TOWER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTRIC CUTLERY COMPANY, OF NEW YORK.

RAZO R-ST RO P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 412,S938, dated October 15, 1889.

Application filed April l5, 1889. Serial No. 307,258. (No model.)

To all whom it mayvconccrnf:

Be it known that I, LEWIS C. TOWER, of Rochester, county of Monroe, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RazonStrops; and I do hereby declare the following` to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to figures and zo letters of reference marked thereon.

My present invention has for its obj ect to provide an improved razor-strop that shall be cheap and simple in construction, and one which will afford an elastic stropping surface or surfaces for acting upon the razor to produce the best edge for use 5 and to these ends it consists in certain novelties of construction and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter described, and the novel features zo pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a strop constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a longitudinal sectional view of the same; Fig. 3, a cross-section on the line a; of Fig. l; Fig. 1i, a longitudinal sectional view of a modification 5 Fig. 5, a crosssection on the line c z of Fig. 4.

Similar letters of reference in the several 3o figures indicate similar parts.

The base or support of my improved strop consists of a block A,preferably of Wood,pro vided with a handle B and on two sides with honing and stropping surfaces C and I), re-

3 5 spectively, the former for the purpose of putting an edge on a very dull razor, and t-he latter, of soft leather, for finishing the stropping operation.

Upon two of its sides the support A is re- 4o cessed slightly, as shown, being provided at the sides with upwardly-extending ledges or fianges a a, while the central portions or parts between the ends are deeper, as shown at b, for the purpose of allowing the cushion-sup ports slight elastic movement, as will be described. The stropping-eushions E are formed upon strips F, preferably of thin elastic wood, and may consist of any suitable materialeesuch as 5o cotton or wool-contained in asuitable receptacle, as a paper sheath Gr, secured to the strips F by glue or otherwise. The covering for the cushions, of soft leather, as usual, does not extend entirely around the strip F, but, as the sheaths containing the packing are wider than the strips, passes over the outer side of said sheaths and is secured to the sides of the strip by glue or other suitable means, this arrangement economizing material. The cushion-strips F are placed in position within the 6o recesses in the base A, the ends resting upon the higher portions, while the strips are free to give slightly at the center, providing a firm elastic strop. Further, the fianges a at the side of the cushions project upward far enough 6 5 to protect the edges of the cushion, covering and hiding the strip-edges, thus giving a 1inished appearance.

Vhile the stroppingsurfaces may be se cured to the base in any suitable manner by 7o attaching the ends of strips F to it, orasingle stropping-cushion employed, I prefer to make the strops, as shown, with two surfaces E E e one on each side the support for operating differently upon the razor-and in this construction make the outer leather covering of them of a single piece (or sometimes two pieces of leather connected to each other at the ends, as shown) and connected to the base A at its outer end, which will hold the outer ends of 8o the strips on the base, while the ends toward the handle B may be confined and fastened by an encircling band J or in any other suitable manner. The iianges a at the sides of the base, it will be noted, also serve to support the edges of the stropping cushions, should they be turned down from excessive use.

In Figs. 4. and 5 I have shown a modification, in which, instead of fastening the strop- `9o pin g-cushions in place by attaching their covering material to the support, I form one of the cushions at least upon a strip F in the manner described and provide on opposite sides of the ends laterally-projecting flanges ff, arranged to conoperate with corresponding grooves or recesses in the inner sides of flanges a a, so that said strip will be secured at the ends, but permitted to give slightly at the middle, as before, and may be slid out when Ioo desired, uncovering a recess K in the support A for the reception of a razor. A suitable button or catch L at the outer end of the support is employed to hold the cushion normally in position. This construction embodies the essential features of the other one, the cushion being formed and held and its edges protected in like manner.

The above described strop can be very cheaply made, the amount of fine coveringleather employed being reduced to the minimum, while the inished strop is equal to any in the market, the stropping-oushions being firm and not liable to get out of shape in use, and their supports being sufiiciently flexible for all purposes.

Instead of employing two stropping-cushions, as shown, one only can be employed and the construction of the cushions varied as may seem best to the constructer.

By forming the stropping-cushions upon. the separate strips and afterward assembling them I am enabled to make the parts in quantities and then assemble them and complete the strops without the necessity of employing skilled labor for the latter operation.

While it is desirable to employ the stuffed cushions shown, it is not essential that they be so made, as the strips F might be covered with soft leather, and thus answer the same purpose. cushion I do not mean to confine myself to the particular form shown.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a strop, the combination, with the base or support having the anges or ledges at the sides, of the thin elastic strip supported thereon at the ends only, thestropping-cushion on said strip, and the covering for the same fastened to the sides below said auges, substantially as described.

2. In a strop, the combination, with the base or support having the flanges at the sides, of the thin elastic strip supported thereon at the ends only, and the stropping-cushion on the strip projecting over the flanges on the support, substantially as described.

3. In a strop, the combination, with the base or support having the flanges at the sides, of the strip, the stropping-cushion thereon,and the covering material for the cushion secured to the strip below the flanges on the support, substantially as described.

LEWIS C. TOWER. Witnesses:

S. E. TRUE, FRED F. CHURCH.

Therefore by the use of the term` 

